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Name: myownmuggle
House: Ravenclaw
Title: It’s About Time
Words: 430
Warnings: Not a one

The smell of rain and grass and trees was somehow soothing and energizing all at once, but Hermione still felt as though her head was clouded. She closed her eyes and let her thoughts drift, hoping that an answer would present itself. She didn’t get very far before her reverie was interrupted.

“Hermione-“ the familiar voice ventured hesitantly. She opened her eyes and looked up to see that Ron had joined her on the porch. He handed her a cup of tea, which she sipped in order to avoid having to speak.

“Are you all right? You’ve been sitting out here for hours.” Ron searched her face carefully.

“I’m fine. I just needed some room to think, ALONE.” Hermione raised an eyebrow to emphasize her point but Ron had apparently decided to ignore it.

“You’ve got to tell him. He’ll be leaving any time now,” Ron persisted.

“Who?” She avoided Ron’s pointed stare and looked out over the garden. The rain was still falling, drumming on the roof and in her heart.

“Hermione, stop being so stubborn. When are you going to tell him the truth? What are you so afraid of?” Ron’s voice was surprisingly strong.

“I’ll tell him when I decide the time is right. It’s my life,” she snapped half-heartedly.

“He loves you. That’s why he came here. He came for you, Hermione.” Ron took the cup and set it on the ground. He grasped her hands and smiled.

“I can’t Ron, it’s-“ a tear rose in Hermione’s eye and spilled down her cheek.

“It’s what?” A deeper voice spoke from the doorway. Ron and Hermione watched a stocky figure step into the fading sunlight and hold one hand out to the astonished Hermione.

“It’s time,” Hermione whispered before smiling at Ron and dropping his hands. She stood and took a deep breath. “It’s time to tell you the truth, Charlie.”

“Truth about what?” Charlie’s hands felt like sandpaper and they dwarfed Hermione’s.

“What happened before, what you said. You scared me. But you also made me realize that you were right. I just let my head take charge of my heart.” Tears poured down her face in earnest.

Charlie wiped away Hermione’s tears with his calloused thumbs and watched as she gathered her courage.

“I love you, Charlie.” She looked down at her feet as her cheeks burned a red that was more Weasley than Granger. “I couldn’t let you go without telling you.”

Charlie wrapped his arms around Hermione and pulled her close to his chest. Her kissed her softly and whispered, “It’s about time.”

A Dark Drabble...

Name: myownmuggle
House: Ravenclaw
Title: His Noble Work
Words: 496
Warnings: Character death and a bit of blood (nothing gory though)

Salazar Slytherin settled uneasily into a chair and stared into the fire. His body was seated in a low-ceilinged, dungeon-like room that was lit by a greenish light. Salazar’s thoughts; however, were elsewhere, as he tried to reason with himself and reconcile the words he had exchanged earlier.

~*~

“I will not bear it, Godric. Only those of the purest blood shall walk these halls.” Salazar’s eyes flashed with green fire as he spoke.

“Salazar, we are the soul of Hogwarts. Unless we remain united, there will be no future,” Godric Gryffindor pleaded with his friend.

His words were met by a stony silence.

~*~

“Curse that witch, she is clever,” Salazar snarled into the fire, a vision of Rowena Ravenclaw danced between the flames. “It is impossible. There must be another way.”

The castle itself would stand; virtually nothing could bring down the stones and the staircases. Perhaps if he left a piece of himself behind…Salazar’s eyes opened wide at this last thought. It would require the darkest magic, and blood to seal the spell.

~*~

Salazar wrapped himself in his cloak and Apparated to the village of Little Hangleton, in the far eastern part of England. A solitary, hapless Muggle soon wandered from the dark night into his field of vision. Wordlessly, Salazar flicked his wand and the Muggle was bound by ropes.

Salazar reappeared at Hogwarts with his quarry and disappeared into a chamber deep inside the bowels of the castle. The chamber itself was enormous, a temple-like room supported by pillars carved with serpents. He spoke a few words, unheard by any human ears, and an enormous serpent slithered out of the shadows. Its tongue flickered, tasting the air, as though waiting for Salazar to make his decision.

Speaking very slowly in Parseltongue, the wizard immersed himself in the darkest of spells. He drew a dagger and slew his prisoner, cutting himself in the process. Wizard blood mixed with Muggle and flowed over his hands. Salazar’s voice grew louder and the chamber was soon filled with a brilliant green light. Searing pain split his body.

When the light faded, Salazar wiped the blood from his hands onto his robes. He could not bear to destroy what they had built, Rowena had known that. She could not know that he had now hidden a piece of himself within the chamber where he stood. Salazar’s noble work was finished.

My true heir will follow and complete what I have begun, he whispered to the serpent, speaking in Parseltongue once more. You will be the guardian of this chamber and its secrets. Keep watch and be ready.

The serpent withdrew back into the shadows as Salazar surveyed the one part of the castle that would not appear on any maps or plans. He stepped out of the darkness onto the grounds and saw that a blood-red moon had risen in the sky. With a glance at the castle’s West Tower, Salazar Slytherin left Hogwarts forever.

“I’m sorry, Miss Weasley,” the Healer said quietly. “You’re going to have to decide. You’re the only one who can.”

It was true. Ginny was the only one left. Harry was in a coma, his life hanging on the line. Her family was gone. The war had been brutal. Harry had watched everyone he had ever considered dear die before him. When a spell had come hurtling in her direction, he couldn’t contain himself. He threw himself in front of her. Now he was unconscious in St. Mungo’s. He was even more of a hero to the world now that Voldemort was vanquished, but to her, he was just Harry. Just Harry- the stupid prat who broke up with her to ‘protect’ her. Just Harry- the man who never had a chance to be a boy- the man she loved. Now she had to decide whether he would live or move on.

Her knees threatened to give away as she walked tentatively toward his bed. She fell heavily into a chair by his side. Massaging his waxy hand in hers, she managed to say, “How are you feeling, Harry?”

She wasn’t expecting a response. After all, she hadn’t received one after nearly a week. Nonetheless, she couldn’t help but feel disappointed as his cool hands remained so.

“I’m doing all right, Harry,” she said softly to the silence of the room. “As well as can be expected, I suppose.”

She paused, wishing for something to say that she hadn’t already told him. “I miss you. I wish that other people were here to tell you how much they miss you, too, but no one’s left. I’m sorry, Harry. I know it must be hard for you, with everyone gone.”

She stopped again. Why was talking to him so hard? She closed her eyes tightly, fighting back the tears that were threatening to fall. To keep him here would be selfish. As much as it hurt, she knew what she had to do. She kissed his cold lips for the last time, squeezed his hand, and took his glasses from his bedside table. She wanted something to remember him by.

“Have you made your decision yet?” the Healer asked. Ginny nodded solemnly. As she walked through the door, she turned.

“Good-bye, Harry,” she whispered, allowing a single tear to roll down her face. Before her resolve gave out, she faced the Healer. "Just do it."

James Potter sat at the kitchen table in his cozy home in Godric’s Hollow. His hair was messier than usual and his head was in his hands. He knew what he needed to do and who to trust. James did not want his choice to be obvious. That would mean sure death for the person he chose, and James definitely did not want that.

“James?” Lily called curiously as she walked down the staircase, holding small, precious Harry to her chest.

“Just give me a few more minutes. I will make the right choice for both of you,” James promised his beloved wife and infant son.

Lily nodded and shuffled into the living room to play with Harry.

James felt more pressure than ever. He had seen something in Lily’s eyes he had never seen before. He saw trust. He always knew Lily trusted him, but never before had it shined so brightly in her eyes. James had to make the right decision. He loved Lily and Harry so much that words could not do it justice. James knew he would never be able to live with himself if either Harry or Lily died. He would sacrifice himself before letting either of them get even the smallest scrape or bruise.

James hoped he would not need to sacrifice himself. He had always trusted his three best friends immensely. Sirius, Remus, and Peter had always been his brothers, even if their family trees said otherwise. Times were different now. James was not sure who to trust. Anyone could be a spy or a traitor. Initially, James chose Sirius, who convinced James that he was not the best choice.

James thought for one last moment. He thought about how one particular friend had always idolized him. He remembered the time that friend had saved him from receiving detention and had to serve the detention himself, even though he was completely innocent.

He had made his decision. James slowly marched to the entrance to the living room.

Andromeda Black stood in the center of her family’s dining room, feeling torn and alone. By the dining room table stood her parents, with her sisters. By the door stood Ted Tonks, the first man she had ever loved. They were all waiting for her to make a decision.

She looked at her parents, who stared back at her with icy uncaring eyes. They had made their position clear. If she walked out that door with Ted, she would never be welcomed back. She would be erased from their family forever. There would no longer be three Black sisters.

She turned to Bellatrix, her big sister, the one she had always looked up to. She wished for Bella to give her some reassurance, some sign that it would all be okay. That didn’t happen. Her sister stared back at her with a glare similar to that of their parents. However, Bella was much younger than their parents, and not as experienced at hiding her emotions. Andromeda could still see her big sister behind those cold dark eyes. She could still see that her sister loved her, and she was scared for her.

Guilt built inside of Andromeda as she looked to her baby sister. Narcissa was still very much a child, and it showed in the intense situation. She could not spare even the slightest glare for her older sister. Her eyes were slowly filling with tears, which she was obviously trying to hide. Andromeda knew that her little sister did not want her to go.

Finally, her gaze fell on Ted, the one who had made her realize who she was. He was the only person who ever saw her as anything other then another Black. And in that moment, he was the only one staring back at her with complete honesty in his eyes. One look at him told her that he loved her, and that he would continue to love her regardless of the choice that she made. He understood that she loved him, but that she loved her family too.

She took a deep breath. Her decision was made. She turned away from her family, and walked out of the mansion with Ted. She left with him because she knew that his love would always be unconditional.

Barty knelt on the floor. It took all of his strength not to trmeble. How had he allowed himself to get into this situation? His father would surely disown him if he ever found out that he was involved in this.

He looked around the room at the various robed and masked figures. He didn’t understand the point of the masks. It was easy to recognize the people he knew. Some of them he had known all his life.

Standing less than a foot away from his was his best friend, Regulus Black. He was easily recognizable by his short stature and perfect posture. They had gone to Hogwarts together. They had gone through everything together. Regulus had always been there for him, and he was comfortable with his decision to be a Death Eater. Regulus really felt that they were doing the right thing, and Barty had always trusted his friend’s judgment.

Beside Regulus stood a much taller figure, whose dark greasy hair could be seen sticking out around his mask. Severus Snape had been like a mentor to Barty and Regulus. They had followed him around Hogwarts like little puppies, but oddly enough Severus never seemed to mind. He had always been willing to put up with their company and answer their questions. Barty knew that Regulus saw Severus as a sort of stand-in big brother, someone to replace Sirius in his life. To Barty, Severus was his role model. As a first year, he couldn’t wait to grow up and be just as smart as Severus. And now, he had a chance to become a Death Eater, just like Severus.

Finally, his eyes landed on a woman, who was standing much closer to the Dark Lord than the others. Her long black hair had escaped from its bun and was hanging lose. In his heart, Barty knew that she was the real reason he was there. He had loved Bellatrix Black since he was a scrawny eleven year old and she was a full grown woman. He had coveted her. She was all he wanted. But he knew she would never see a man who didn’t have the Dark Mark.

“Are you certain this is what you want, Barty?” the Dark Lord asked him.

This was his last chance to turn back. He looked from Regulus to Severus to Bellatrix. They were all certain about this; and if they were all here, he knew that his place was beside them.

Name: helgaandgodric
House: Ravenclaw
Title: She took the words right out of my mouth
Words: 381
Warnings: None

Note: The decision is the one Ron explains to Harry.

“Hey, Ron, want to play some Quiddich? Fred and-” whatever Harry had to say died in his throat at the sight of Ron sitting on the edge of his old bed holding a box. The box was square with rounded edges, and a maroon color. It sat open in his hand which showed that it was lined with silk. In the middle of the box was a diamond ring. A diamond engagement ring.

Ron didn’t seem to have noticed that Harry had come into his old room at all. In fact, he still sat on the edge of the orange bed, his paler than usual skin sticking out against the orange. Harry edged carefully into the room, cleared his throat a few times, and waited for Ron to speak.

Finally, after a few minutes, Ron spoke. He did not look at Harry, just at the ring, with its silver band and small diamond. “I’m going to ask Hermione to marry me, Harry,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. Apparently waiting for a reaction, he stopped talking. But Harry waited patiently for him to continue.

When Ron realized Harry wasn’t going to answer him, he spoke again. “The war is over, and has been for two years. We’ve both got jobs, and everything’s great with every one. Hermione and I have been dating for one and a half years, now, and a year before that. If I learned anything from the war, it’s that I don’t want to lose Hermione. Ever.”

Ron took a breath, and tore his eyes away from the ring to look at Harry. “I know that you said you were all right with us dating, but are you alright with us getting married? If she says yes, of course,” he added hurriedly.

Harry smiled at Ron. He always had known that they would be married. They were made for each other, and every one knew it. So the obvious answer was, “Yes.”

But it wasn’t Harry who answered. It was Hermione from the door. “Yes, Ron,” she said, eyes brimming with tears. “I’ll marry you.”

They both turned to Harry, who was grinning. “You’re okay with us?” Ron asked again, apparently not comprehending what Hermione had said.

Hermione licked her lips at the sight before her: scrumptious German chocolate cake.

The red-head standing next to her smiled gleefully.
“Come on, Hermione. What are you waiting for?!” Ginny reprimanded.

“Oh, I don’t know, Ginny! I promised Draco that he’d have the last piece,” Hermione began.
“What? How could you promise such a barbaric thing?” the red-head demanded, incredulity sketched into her facial features.

“After he came back from hunting for it last week,” Hermione began, “he was in a fit because he had to venture into Muggle London. And you know how he gets when he goes near Muggles.”

“What does that have to do with this? You felt bad for him for going near Muggles, and promised him a piece of your chocolate cake?” Ginny asked.

“Sort of…”

***
“No, Granger, I’m not going into bloody Muggle London for German chocolate cake,” mumbled a sleepy Draco.
“Please!!!”
“Hermione, why do you always have cravings at three in the bloody morning?” Draco huffed, shifting his body to face his eight month pregnant wife.
“I don’t know…but I promise that this time I’ll save you the last piece,” the young Mrs. Malfoy pouted.
“You never do, love.”
“This time it’s different. I promise on my Gryffindor honor.”

***

“On your Gryffindor honor?” interrupted the youngest Weasley.
“Well…what would you have done? It was a really bad craving. Look at it!”

Both women turned to sadly stare at the chocolate cake…

***

“Oh, Draco, don’t be angry. It was a really bad craving!” Hermione softly scolded, licking her fingers clean.
“But did you have to share it with the Weaselette?” said an angry Draco, staring at the empty porcelain plate.
“Yes, she’s seven months pregnant and has cravings as well. Besides, you don’t even like chocolate cake.”
“Hermione,” he sighed, enveloping his arms around his wife’s huge belly.
“Yes?”
“You know I can’t deny you anything; not even the last bloody piece of chocolate cake that I spent two hours looking for while you slept in our king sized bed,” he teased.
“Draco?”
“Yes?”
“I’m craving peanut butter flavored ice-cream…”
“Granger, it’s eleven at night. I don’t care how bloody pregnant you are, or that you’re carrying the Malfoy heir, I’m not going out into Muggle London twice in a week….”

I've left moddom/fandom...though don't be surprised if I get caught lurking once in a blue moon.
All questions pertinent to Ravenclaw need to be sent to ToBeOrNotToBeAGryffindor
If you wish to keep in touch, feel free to friend me on LJ - I don't friend anyone under the age of 18. Sorry!

''Hagird, please stand and state your case," Dumbledore motioned. The entire teaching staff of Hogwarts had gathered for an emergency meeting. Hagrid just had too many animals. They were attacking students, and Hagrid. They were ruining the grounds with droppings and holes. Dumbldore sadly decided he had to force Hagrid to give up some of his animals.

"Godric, we've been waiting awhile." Helga Hufflepuff said as she set her cup of tea on a table.

"Yes, she's right. What took so long?" Asked Salazar from next to Helga on a rather large couch.

"I ran into something on the way, my broom malfunctioned. Now what was it that was so important I had to come immediately?" Godric sat down in a squishy chair next to the fire, his favorite one.

"Rowena has an idea- something we could actually use this castle for." Helga said, motioning to the raven-haired woman in the chair next to Godric's.

"Yes. What if, what if we did something to help all of wizard kind? Inspire our future generations?" Rowena asked, grabbing the attention of all the founders.

"What do you suppose?" Salazar asked in a business-like manner.

"If we opened this place as a school, a prestigous wizarding school to teach students the arts of witchcraft and wizardry, we'd be reknowned as heroes." She crossed her arms to her chest "Would you agree? A lot of planning would take place, we'd need to hire teachers, salarys, all those things."
The future founders exchanged glances.

Harry walked through the kitchen door of the Burrow. It had been a long day, and he was exhausted, but he knew he had a choice to make.

Mrs. Weasley walked into the kitchen. “Harry, dear, have you decided yet?”

Harry had been pondering since early that morning over what his decision would be. With each option, there could be consequences. However, it was late now, and if he didn’t make up his mind soon, well…

“Harry? Are you all right?” came Hermione’s voice from the foot of the stairs. “Oh, you still haven’t decided, have you?”

“No,” Harry answered. “It’s just … I don’t know. I’m being stupid.

“No you’re not,” replied Hermione. “If it was me, I’d be having just as much trouble – ”

“You wouldn’t,” Harry cut her off. “You always know what to do.”

“That’s not true!” said Hermione indignantly. “You know very well it isn’t – ”

But Harry cut her off again. “Of course it’s true! Back in school, you were always the best in the class. Why? Because you not only knew how to do something, you knew what to do. But me? Half the time I had no idea what was going on.”

Hermione looked at him sympathetically. “But when it comes to real life, Harry, you’re so much better at making decisions – wait, just listen,” she said, moving forward to grab Harry’s hand as he tried to interrupt her again. “Look at me and Ron! We still aren’t together, because neither of us can make that decision.

Harry realized the truth in her words. He suddenly knew what his choice would be.

“Mrs. Weasley? I think I know what I’m going to do.”

Hermione squeezed his hand.

“So what is it, then?” asked Mrs. Weasley.

“I…” began Harry. “I think…”

“Just say it, Harry,” urged Hermione.

Harry sighed and glanced at her. Then he looked at Mrs. Weasley. His answer was only one word, but that was all that was needed to set her into action. His response was simply: